Motormouth: A GTA Q&A with Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser - 1UP

It's not that Rockstar founder Sam Houser is a man of few words. Get him talking about Grand Theft Auto IV and the British-born executive producer of the GTA series will fill two hours of audio tape. He'll go on about how his game's Russian accents trump Hollywood's. He'll disclose the Nintendo-spawned inspiration for the game's interpersonal relationships. He'll discuss the tricky business of developing for two consoles simultaneously. He'll even vent about the previously taboo topic of the Hot Coffee scandal. Landing a sit-down with the notoriously press-shy Houser isn't so easy, but we were granted one in early January for EGM's GTA4 cover story. And here, for the first time, is the full interview....

interesting comment by Dan Houser on page 4 of the article, He says the game has filled a DVD disc and is concerned how the next game

"One of the problems with the 360, and it affects games like Grand Theft Auto if you think about how much content we put in the actual machine, is the fact that they don't have a significantly larger storage medium than the previous systems. It's a slightly bigger DVD disc."

UP: Let's talk about the hardware issues. Back when GTA4 was delayed, PS3 technical hurdles were cited as a contributing factor. I take it those have been ironed out.

SH: I don't know what anybody's said on that stuff. I didn't say anything, and I stay out of it.... Both machines are absolutely fantastic, but they both come with strengths and weaknesses. The strength of the 360 is a very, very accessible, familiar, effective environment to work in. You're making the game from the get-go, everyone understands its PC environment -- boom, off we go. It's pretty good. One of the problems with the 360, and it affects games like Grand Theft Auto if you think about how much content we put in the actual machine, is the fact that they don't have a significantly larger storage medium than the previous systems. It's a slightly bigger DVD disc.

1UP: Plus, you're not guaranteed a hard drive in every system.

SH: That's a complicated one. I met with a bunch of the senior fellows from [Microsoft]. I said, that's kind of complicated.... The upshot of the technical challenges we've experienced on either the 360 or on the PS3 is [that] both companies stepped up to the plate and have supported us in a way that was beyond even my greedy expectations. They've been amazing. I think that the 360 is going to have to get 'round this issue we're talking about. I can think of various ways they can do it. Hopefully, they're going to adopt one of those in the next year or so, because it's going to become more of an issue. If we're filling up the disc right now, where are we going? It's not like our games are going to get any smaller. I think that issue's on the table with a bunch of games right now. I'm sure they'll come through with an intelligent solution.

Getting things running on the PS3 initially was challenging. I think it was challenging for a lot of companies, but it's also a machine where, now that we've got comfortable with it -- I don't want to say we've cracked it, but we've got comfortable with it -- we know we can make our games. We're at a point now where the games pretty much look identical side by side. There's a slight difference in the way they look. I think that's to do with really low-level technical stuff that I'm not the guy to explain. The 360 games have a certain look to them; PS3 games have a certain look to them. I like the way [the PS3] renders. There's a certain kind of softness without being blurry -- some warmth to it -- and then there's a certain more clinical element to how the 360 looks. Both have plusses and minuses. As far as I'm concerned, they're neck and neck now. That's very much our goal; we do not want to get in the middle of that rather heated, fervent debate.... These guys who wanna defend their systems, you know what? Good on 'em, and let them do it. We just didn't want to give them something that would in any way fuel it....

There you have it folks, PS3 version is better and obviously limited 360 hardware stopped them into making GTA4 even better game. 1UP interviewer who was SO OWNED by Sam was probably shocked and MS must not be happy now, but hey what can you do. First 1UP guy invents that PS3 was the reason of delay, and Sam is like "WTF are you talking about, i never said that", crickets! That he bashes 3fixme instead of PS3. Old tech DVD(SOny said Blueray is needed for this gen, but dont worry xbots, new xbox is on the way in 09, you know 4 years hardware), than comments on no hard drive and ultimate blow, he LIKE MORE PS3 version looks. O God it feels so good, ugh, ughh can you feel it? (Ace Ventura joke)

Microsoft says to get the complete expierence of GTA 4 is to get the 360 version, it looks to me that the DVD on the 360 actually limited us form the complete expiereince due to DVD size plus the graphics are better on PS3 according to the maker of GTA 4 looks like GTA 5 will be a PS3 exclusive.

"I'm very excited about the episodes. I think they're going to work beautifully well, particularly if you played the single-player experience"

The DLC will be coming, if your a ps3/360 and a GTA fan, you should really really consider getting the 360 version. Rockstar is a company that prides itself on what it delivers, make no mistake the DLC will be good.

that sony is releasing a DLC as well..maybe not in the fall, but it will happen..but like i said, by the time DLC comes out fot GTA4 - whether its ps3/360 - we will move on to other games like MGS4 or GeOW2

This sucks for xbox owners but Facts are Facts, dvd is last gen and is limiting next gen games. But Im still buying the 360 version of GTA + DLC. I alway wonder why won't Microsoft release game on Double "Dual" Layer DVDS this way you can hold up 18gs of data.

We're at a point now where the games pretty much look identical side by side. There's a slight difference in the way they look. I think that's to do with really low-level technical stuff that I'm not the guy to explain. The 360 games have a certain look to them; PS3 games have a certain look to them. I like the way [the PS3] renders. There's a certain kind of softness without being blurry -- some warmth to it -- and then there's a certain more clinical element to how the 360 looks. Both have plusses and minuses. As far as I'm concerned, they're neck and neck now. That's very much our goal; we do not want to get in the middle of that rather heated, fervent debate.... These guys who wanna defend their systems, you know what? Good on 'em, and let them do it. We just didn't want to give them something that would in any way fuel it....